Milan Credle – The Conflict (Instrumental)
Terri Bocklund – Indigo Tattoo
Rumpole – Cool Joe V2
small craft – of the mountain
Warren Wolf – 427 Mass Ave
The Buzz – Why Did You Let Me (Let You Go)
Vandaveer – Beat, Beat, My Heart
Jonathan Matis – Stone Rocket Bronze Dog
Black Masala – Bhangra Ramo
Nancy Joie Wilkie – Walking In The Sun
Skyline Hotel – Make Me Sway
Sunshowers Overnight – Lulu in the Sandstorm
Shortstack – Greyhound
Sam Redd – Sam’s Blues
Low End String Quartet – Paintbrush
The Red Lines – flowers & stars
junhee – Home
Atoka Chase – My Father
Anthony Pirog Sextet – One Tall Cliff
Frau Eva – Interlude

The Northern Divide – Resolution
Telyscopes – Love Song, Not The Cure
Star FK Radium – Blue Siberia
Dirdy Redzz – Spoken Herb
Lands – Polyonymous
Bunny Man Bridge – Shush Mutt
Shortstack – Reckless and Alive
Moss Of Aura – Only
Scenic MentaL Detours – Jump of Joy
Night Streets – Night Streets
John W. Warren – Saudade
Vandaveer – Ways & Means
Jeremy Hyman – New Edition
WonderChurch – Dog Water
Lilac Daze – Knives
Jon Miller – Edison
Terri Bocklund & Curr Kowalski – Bagizo (Go Swimming)
Urban Verbs – Next Question
Stripmall Ballads – Cuba Variations
Three Man Soul Machine – Golden Thread

Skyline Hotel – A Love I Won’t Mind
Oddisee – In My Day
Famous For A Century – Kindled (Reprise)
Jason Masi – Ease Your Worried Mind
aerialist – nebulon
Empresarios – A Fuego Lento
ZOMES – Black Magic Band
Jordan Clawson – Yes You Can
Atoka Chase – Iron, Blood, And Bones (or The Children’s Crusade)
Rumpole – Blue Note Special
Constant Alarm – I Am Lying
Vandaveer – Concerning Past & Future Conquests
Stephen Allen Kochersperger – Headhunter Serenade
Ben Kingsland – The King Beneath the Mountains
Zenon Slawinski – Loon Tune
Fat Kneel – Octolude
Jason A Mullinax – Home World
Thomas Zebovitz – Inspirited
Greenland – Silver Spring
Ben Williams – Things Don’t Exist

HD Sunrise – Plein Air
DC Improvisers Collective – Rosslyn Suite
Vandaveer – Poor Edward
Nerftoss – Virtue Walk
Matt Rippetoe – Teen Dracula
Champ de Mars – American Static
Sherwood Gainer – Action Item X
Night Streets – Night Streets
Brian Forehand – 5:01 p.m. (Dusk Moves)
Clif Hardin – Gigue from Suite for Piano
The Scotch Bonnets – Pim Pim Pim
Sansyou – Docking Fish
Western Affairs – Laura
Mark Haag – Spanish Chant
Aaron Agre – Time Window
Brûlée – The Wagon I’m On
Lookout Gang – Shack-It
Mark Sylvester – Dance of the Misfits
Tone – PLSKN
Warren Wolf – Montara

Stranger In the Alps – Love/Afraid
Martyn – Fashion Skater
Suzanne Brindamour – Fireflies
Timothy Soller – Water and Light
Miyazaki – Torrents
Projekt Eins – Vacillate-Venerate
The Shifters – She’s So Fine
Aaron Agre – Stormglass
Young Rapids – Singing World
Feedel Band – Ethiopian Ocean (Live At WAMU)
Klauss – Mixer
Peals – Koan 1
Borracho – Redemption
Ricky Eat Acid – Big Man’s Last Trip Outside
Vandaveer – The Knoxville Girl
aerialist – proteus
ZOMES – Beckoning Breeze
Flash Frequency – Corner of The Room
Bonjour, Ganesh! – Tito
Diamond District – Back to Basics Instrumental

Higher Hands – Due Dilla-gence
Le Loup – I Had a Dream I Died
Miyazaki – Apparition
Oddisee – Fievre
John Lanou – Blackbird with Landon Letzkus
Vandaveer – Ways & Means
South Rail – Wandering Soul
Dale Holmes – Summer Rain
Tom McBride – Cheap Thrill
PS Music Group – Waiting
Xamin – Humidity ft. Alex Leipold, Rebecca Schrader
Max D – Slick
Peanut Butter and Dave – Egon
Q and Not U – We Heart Our Hive
Shannon Gunn and the Bullettes Septet – Warm Woman Blues
Frau Eva – Interlude
RDGLDGRN – Hangout
Outputmessage – Goldilocks Zone (Julius Jetson Remix)
Language of Sleep – Epilogue
Lungfish – Constellations

TRU Band – Same Time Tomorrow
America Hearts – Race Car Driver
David Marc Alterman – Pavane for Double Reeds
Mbandi – Destiny
Reginald Cyntje – Awakening
Tom McBride – Candle Light the Way
Terracotta Blue – DreamVintage (part 1)
Brian Wilbur Grundstrom – For Whom the Bell Tolls Opera – Act 1 Scene 3
Foozle – Blue Sweatshirt
Lungfish – Black Helicopters
Joe Garner – Waiting
The Grudging Pumpkin – Pigcart Bump
AndrewN – Going Home
Dub City Renegades – High, High, High (dub)
Vandaveer – Beat, Beat, My Heart
Aaron Gage – Float
Scythian – Pluckett’s
Dmerit – Stuck On You
Flash Frequency – Time
The Cassettes – Oxford

Between Sept. 26 and 27, 42 bands played across five stages in the relatively secluded West Potomac Park along the banks of the Potomac River. Ten percent of the event’s proceeds benefited the Trust for the National Mall, the nonprofit set up to preserve and restore the federal land called America’s front lawn. With more than $750 million in backlogged repair work needed — and 39 years since the park’s last major renovation — the National Mall could use the help.

But the festival didn’t escape criticism in the lead-up to last weekend: a Washington Post article raised questions about whether public land should be given over to a private commercial event, particularly one with VIP tickets in the thousands of dollars. Not that the controversy appeared to dampen the spirits of 20-somethings who forked over their wages to see headliner Drake and the fireworks he brought with him Saturday night. (The Canadian emcee was one act Bandwidth didn’t get a chance to photograph; he only approved a handful of media outlets. See images at the Post or Fuse.)

Those with plebeian-level tickets (from $105 to $175) experienced a smoothly running festival — notable for any major concert’s inaugural year — with bands running largely on schedule both days. Attendees wandered freely between the stages to catch their favorite acts, with conflicts seemingly kept to a minimum, with only two or three bands playing at any given time.

But the vending operation was another matter. If Landmark returns for another year, it will need to get its food and beverage service in line. Food stands from local restaurants offered tasty variety, and there was plenty of beer to go around — but lines became unbearable Saturday as the day went on. Other reviews mention difficult parking, scarce toilet paper and sound bleed between stages.

Below, what Bandwidth spotted at Landmark Music Festival — in alphabetical order, and without the long lines.

All photos by Matt Condon

Ace Cosgrove

Albert Hammond Jr.

alt-J

Avers

Ben Howard

Chromeo

Chvrches

Empresarios

Ex Hex

Hiss Golden Messenger

Manchester Orchestra

Miguel

Rhiannon Giddens

The Joy Formidable

The London Souls

The Strokes

The War On Drugs

Twin Shadow

U.S. Royalty

Vandaveer

Wale

Kingman Island Bluegrass and Folk Festival
For casual Americana fans and people on a budget

The Kingman Island Bluegrass and Folk Festival (600 Oklahoma Ave. NE, 1 to 8 p.m.) celebrates all things local: Each of the 30-plus artists on the schedule hails from the area. You won’t catch a lot of big names here, but you’ll hear a wide variety of roots music, from the featured scrappy string band The Hackensaw Boys to the sophisticated folk pop of Vandaveer and uke-wielding singer-songwriter Don Kim. (WAMU’s Bluegrass Country is a media sponsor.)

Unlike many festivals, this one isn’t a budget-buster: Admission is a $10 suggested donation to the Living Classrooms Foundation, a Baltimore/D.C. nonprofit that supports environmental education programs for area youth. Best of all, parking is free at RFK’s Lot 6 and there will be a free shuttle to and from the Stadium-Armory Metro Station.

In addition to five stages, including a stage for kid-friendly acts like The Banjo Man and Bridgette & Dawn for little bluegrassers—while dogs are allowed at the festival, sadly there is no puppy stage—Kingman Island has got a slew of activities to keep you occupied should you need a break from the music. There will be a fleet of food trucks, beer galore, a climbing wall (you might want to save the beer until after you’ve reached the top), kayaking and an afternoon jam hosted by the DC Bluegrass Union.

Charm City Folk and Bluegrass Festival
For serious bluegrass fans

If you’re willing to spend an hour in the car and pay more than $60 for a ticket and $10 for parking, the second annual Charm City Folk and Bluegrass Festival (Druid Hill Park, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.) has the big names that Kingman Island lacks. Its headliner is Dobro virtuoso Jerry Douglas, who’s best known for his work with Alison Krauss & Union Station, though he’s played with everybody from Dolly Parton to Paul Simon.

Other acts include mandolin prodigy Sierra Hull, Noam Pikelny of progressive bluegrass quintet Punch Brothers, and traditionalists Audie Blaylock and Redline, along with local artists like Cris Jacobs from now-defunct roots rockers The Bridge and dulcimer/banjo duo Ken & Brad Kolodner. For $30 extra, you can purchase a ticket to the late night show with The Everyone Orchestra, which promises to be an “improvisational bluegrass party” that contradicts everything your mom told you about nothing good happening after midnight.

Kids under 10 will be admitted free, and, like Kingman Island, there will be some family-friendly activities for them, including the interactive musical experience Nature Jams, tie-dying and bluegrass jam sessions for pickers of all skill levels, while the grownups can indulge in Union Craft Brewing (which hosted last year’s sold-out Charm City Fest in its brewery’s parking lot), Millstone ciders and food from Mother’s Federal Hill Grille.

If you’re already a hardcore fan of bluegrass/Americana music, Charm City is where it’s at; if you’re new to the genre, tight on cash, or just want to get out of your D.C. apartment and discover some local bands not far from home, Kingman Island is the festival for you. But either way you go, remember to double up on sunblock.